Uchence Wilson Gang Trial | pressures witness over gaps in statements

A 21-year-old former member of the Uchence Wilson Gang yesterday rejected suggestions that he has been lying in his testimony as the trial for the reputed gang leader and his 23 cronies continued at the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston.

Attorney-at-law C.J. Mitchell suggested that the witness, who is also a former security guard, lied in his testimony to the court pointing to disparities between his evidence and statements previously given to the police.

Using an electronic document reader, the witness, who is testifying via video link from an undisclosed location, was shown a statement he made to police on July 27, 2017 about a robbery they allegedly carried out in upper St Andrew.

His statement indicated that they robbed the same location twice and on one occasion they made away with two high-end vehicles and electronics.

After he read the statement, Mitchell asked the witness why he made no mention of guns in his statement.

The witness said that he went on too many robberies to remember every detail of each robbery when he was giving his statement.

He maintained that guns were used on the robbery, as he remembered putting them away for the men.

The attorney then asked if he considered the guns as a significant part of what he should have told the police.

The witness said yes, but did not remember at the time.

It was also suggested that the witness did mention where he last saw the Prado and Mercedes-Benz that were stolen from a house in upper St Andrew, to which the witness agreed.

Mitchell also suggested that the witness lied when he testified that he accompanied alleged fellow gang members to ‘cut-up bush’, which was identified as a place in Stony Hill where they allegedly dismantled stolen vehicles.

Last week, the witness testified that the gang carried out a robbery of scammers in St Catherine. He told the court that when they got there ,they posed as police and ordered the occupants to give them access to the property.

According to the statement, however, the attackers held a man at gunpoint outside the house and forced him to signal to the person inside to open the grille.

The attorney asked which one of the accounts was true.

The witness said that both of them were true. He said they held a man at gunpoint outside the house and posed as police to gain access thereafter.

The former gang member also gave two additional reasons for coming forward and giving testimony against his alleged former gang members.

He said that a guilty conscience and the influence of the Holy Spirit pushed him to give information against his alleged former cronies.

He had previously testified that what caused him to give evidence against his alleged former gang members was because they caused him to become homeless and, on one occasion, beat him.

The 24 accused, which include four women and one policeman, are trial for breaches of the anti-gang legislation for crimes allegedly committed between 2015 and 2017.